React: REI’s Social-driven remedy to Thanksgiving procuring insanity

with the aid of Dinah Alobeid December eight, 2015

December 8, 2015

purchasing and the holidays, a pairing that’s been round due to the fact that…smartly, in view that long earlier than this author acquired her first credit card.

however, with so much competition and noise, how can a brand now do one thing new, and encourage a favorable trade?

REI, an outdoor equipment and standard of living retailer (not to mention somewhat an unconventional brand), issued a call to the outdoors. They did so the use of an impressive hashtag asking the general public to #OptOutside on Black Friday.

Let’s go out of doors

consistent with u.s. nowadays’s November 17 article, the co-op retailer strategically deliberate to keep all 143 of its outlets closed on Black Friday, giving employees paid time without work, and launching a social media campaign that inspired individuals to choose outdoor as an alternative of keep — and to take action by means of sharing their nature-stuffed excursions on social media.

And take to social media they undoubtedly did.

over the past two months we’ve considered 164,000 mentions using the hashtag #OptOutside.

This reflects conversations the use of the #OptOutside hashtag when you consider that October 19, but consideration for the out of doors-selling movement received traction on Twitter around October 26.

When Thanksgiving week at last came and due to this fact went, we saw a stunning spike in the #OptOutside Twitter movement.

there were if truth be told extra mentions the day earlier than Thanksgiving than on Black Friday itself – the day intended for folks to choose out of doors.

When looking at the raw numbers there were in fact over 1.5 occasions as many mentions within the time prime up to Black Friday.

To the mountain, or to the ocean

What did those vivacious #OptOutside-rs actually choose to do on Black Friday and right through the complete Thanksgiving vacation weekend?

We categorised the information from individuals bringing up one of the crucial high outdoor activities REI fans (and outdoorsy men and women) partake in to analyze what reigned as the top choice.

No shock given the wintry weather throughout the us of a in November, but hiking ruled all of them.

Biking, tenting, and snowboarding all made first rate appearances within the dialog, yet nothing seems to daunt the delight in with which hikers take to social to put up their scenic mountaintop pictures.

It embraces the most elementary of physical activities, because we all know climbing is really just strolling (set towards beautiful surroundings and brimming with fresh air).

Washington state for the win

California, Texas and ny are inherently leaders in any state-by means of-state breakdown having a look at social knowledge.

Why? merely put, a higher population skews for high social information volumes.

And California was once in truth the state with probably the most mentions of #OptOutside in the conversation over the last week. but…

When having a look at the marketing campaign entirely, during the last two months we see that Washington in fact trumped all different states in participation in the social marketing campaign.

Plus, they boasted over three.5 instances more Tweets than Cali.

the outdoors is the last word equalizer

The gender breakdown used to be extra of a unifier than a dividing factor in the Twitter convo concerning #OptOutside.

over the past two months we will see that women had rather more of a dangle with 51% share of voice, however looking at just the closing week that quantity barely alters.